PERMISSION TO KILL

He took the news rather easily, or so his peers thought, but Phillip always was one to keep his emotions inside. He found life easier to handle when he adopted that attitude. However, he could not ignore the facts. Gabriel, his brother, is dead.

It was the dragon. It was one of many and often people would prefer to it as just "...a dragon," but to Phillip it was the dragon - the one which ended Gabriel's life.

The beast wasted no time in making itself known once it had decided to nest among the huge caves that bordered the Earl empire. It destroyed two villages in the usual dragon manner, the first day it arrived. Since then, nothing had been heard from the beast, but of course King Earl wanted the creature killed. He carelessly sent three of his best knights to slay the dragon, one after the other, certain they were capable of killing the beast. But even kings make mistakes. This poor choice in judgment, however, had cost Gabriel his life. He had been the third knight and the loss was felt by all, for Gabriel was an important man in Earl's empire. He was the king's choice knight, and a leader in many battles.

As Phillip walked through the crowded streets of the village in which he was reared, he wondered what it would be like to meet the dragon face to face. He wanted to kill it himself.

Blending into the village landscape, he looked as an ordinary peasant. There were fruits for sale, women selling hand-woven baskets, and many other items waiting to be bought, traded, or even stolen. All this was unimportant to him. The death of Gabriel created a maddening void in his life, driving him to seclusion. He had lived the last week alone, trying his damnedest to deal with the loss. He could not. In his mind, he knew that the only relief for him would be to avenge his brother's death.

Today is the day I will ask permission to kill the dragon, he thought.

He had thought of doing this before, but fear prevented him from doing anything about it. However, the love for his brother was much stronger than the fear of the dragon. If he could not kill the beast, then he would join Gabriel in death.

That's all there is to it, he told himself.

It's my duty!

He passed through the village and was soon standing in front of the castle. He stared at it's bleak walls and endless casements, his gaze traveling from the dirty moat to the drawbridge lying parallel across its water. He looked and squinted at a sun which beat upon his weary body as though it shone on him alone. Phillip felt alone. He wanted his brother to be alive again, to approach him and hug him tight.

Staring straight ahead, he stepped onto the bridge and silently strolled towards the castle. The guard on duty, standing at the entrance, eyed Phillip over curiously as the young man approached. The guard had not seen him since the death of Gabriel and he wondered where Phillip had been the last week. Phillip scratched his head full of long brown hair, sensing the curiosity. When he walked past the guard, however, all he said was "Hi."

Being a soldier of the king's royal regiment made Phillip's passage into the castle a casual occurrence. Still, the guard felt this was a different man, and he almost questioned the knight's business within the castle. But he didn't, and Phillip entered without incident.

He walked straight to the nearest staircase. Walking slowly up the steps of stone made him realize how long he had been away, the interior of this great structure almost unfamiliar. Nevertheless, he knew his way to the king's throne. King Earl would be happy to see him, as well as Leanne.

"Phillip!" a voice exclaimed.

He looked up the staircase and saw the fair Leanne, the princess, approaching him.

"I was just thinking of you," Phillip smiled, "and I..."

"We thought you went after the dragon!" Leanne interrupted, worry as well as anger blazing in her eyes, "We thought you were dead! Where have you been?"

For the first time in seven days, Phillip smiled.

"I've been away, Leanne. I've been thinking. I need to speak with Earl."

"Yes, yes of course," Leanne said, feeling as though she had just awoken from a bizarre dream, "Come! Come!"

In all his twenty-two years of life, Phillip was certain he had not laid eyes on a woman more beautiful than Leanne. Her long blonde hair gleamed bright, even in the dull light of the castle. She talked, asked questions, but Phillip did not respond. Even the sight of Leanne could not lift his spirit from the depths of despair. He tried to listen to her and would occasionally nod knowingly as if he was really paying attention to what she said, but his thoughts revolved around Gabriel, and he wondered what it would have looked like to watch the dragon actually kill him.

Leanne clutched anxiously at his arm, but he broke away and ran up the stairs. Anger filled his body.

I must see Earl now!

Reaching the top of the staircase, he turned right and ran past several familiar faces, some of which exclaimed his name, then directly to the aperture of the throne room. The door opened easily. It also closed easily. There King Earl sat, in all his glory and majesty, astonished and wide-eyed. Standing on either side of Earl were two advisors of the royal council. They too, were surprised.

Under strict rule, it was a law to be invited into this room before entering, but Phillip entered without so much as a knock. Nevertheless, Earl's expression was one of joy.

"Phillip," he said, "Come forth."

Phillip obeyed. He reached the king's outstretched arms relieved, as though this was the major goal he had wanted to accomplish.

"Where have you been, Phillip?"

"Sire, I have been thinking of nothing but my brother since his death." Phillip fidgeted nervously, thinking of what words could possibly display his emotion without sounding like a flustered, rebellious young knight. There were none. "I want to kill the dragon! Please give me permission and help me make ready for the duel."

Earl smiled and nodded knowingly.

"I expected this of you Phillip, believe me. I really did. I understand what you're feeling but my three best knights have already been slaughtered by this merciless beast. You have suffered a great loss, one to which I myself have not been able to fully accept."

"I want to kill the dragon, this savage destroyer of innocent lives, this beast in which the devil's own soul must occupy! I know of the other knights, but I also know that I cannot live with myself until I have done all that I can do."

There was a tense moment of silence as the two stared into each other's eyes. Phillip dropped his stare first, not caring how the motion registered in the king's mind. He took a few fidgeted steps away from the throne then turned to face Earl again.

"The dragon will die by my sword."

The king shifted his brawny frame in his throne, then dismissed his advisor's, two scrawny old men in white robes, with a routine lift of his right hand. As Earl watched his advisors leave, Phillip eyed him over, the calm sight of this ruler allowing him to collect his thoughts. The king was a stout old man with a large body of symmetry, though uninteresting. His face was undoubtedly that of a monarch, it's red hair, beard and moustache accenting the features of a berserk warrior of old. At that moment, however, Phillip found it hard to be impressed with his king, though normally he was. Gabriel was more important so he stuck to the point.

"I feel that if you do not grant me the permission, I will still do it anyway."

Earl sighed, opened his mouth to immediately voice his disapproval, then stopped and shut his jaws slowly. To him, Phillip had certainly changed. This was not the same young man he had known one week before. Phillip was always the quiet, shy sort of person; showing no sign of cowardice but at the same time, no obvious signs of nobility.

"I think I know you well enough to say that trying to talk you out of this would be a waste of my breath," said the king, "But if this is what you wish, then so be it. However, I will not have it known that I prepared you for this foolish deed. I do not want your death on my conscience."

That was all he said, but it was quite enough. Phillip stared into Earl's eyes, feeling content and glad the conversation was blunt.

"I understand, your majesty. This is pretty much what I expected, but I had to try. I know you can understand that and if you will not help me, I also understand. If you know me well enough, as you have stated, then you know I'm serious about this and intend to go through with it. Farewell my lord, and my king."

Phillip hesitated before turning, knowing that even under these circumstances, he should not turn his back on his king without a dismissal. It came when Earl lazily lifted his right hand and pointed towards the door. The king said nothing and stared at the floor in front of his throne.

My God, thought Phillip, will I ever see this man again?

He turned to walk away from Earl, then stopped abruptly to face his king once again.

"I stand corrected your majesty," he said, "This is not farewell. I will return before the sun sets six times."

Then he did turn away for good, and silently walked out of the throne room. The gentle click of the door shutting behind him echoed throughout the room, disturbing its intense silence. It left Earl feeling much more alone that he actually was.

Immediately after leaving the throne room, Phillip was confronted by Leanne.

"What happened Phillip?" she asked him, "What did you say to Earl?"

"Ask him yourself, Leanne. It would be better you heard it from him than me."

He walked away, leaving Leanne standing alone, concerned. Being the princess and not needing an invitation to enter the throne room, she did just that.

The young knight walked throughout the castle, almost in a trance. He was trembling with fear but he told himself it was only nerves. Soon he was back outside the castle and underneath the afternoon sun.

THE END

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